Mission Theme

Mission Theme for 2015 & 2016--Learn it, Live it, Share it

Monday, November 24, 2014

We finally have A picture! (Day 1 at the MTC)

From Left to right. Elder Frok, Elder Weisler, Elder Roberts, Elder Clark, and finally Elder Bjerregaard

Week 3

Monday

Nothing significant happened during P-Day. After P-Day was over though, we did teach Dawn the plan of salvation. Right now, she has a baptismal date and I really believe she can make it.

Tuesday

We have weekly planning on Tuesdays. It took us most of the day to get though, but hopefully, we can get back to the two or three hours it should take us.

Wednesday

We spent most of the day trying to find people to teach. We contacted two referrals and then walked around Reading trying to find potential investigators. We were not able to talk to anyone we planned on, but we did help a family move into a townhouse. It took us an hour or so, but we did manage to get everything from the truck into the townhouse. Then we went to Brother and Sister Hazard’s home for dinner. Then we went back to Reading to try to meet the remaining people who we wanted to try to visit.

Thursday

We visited Sister Meade and she was planning on racking leaves on Monday, but we offered to do it on Saturday. After dinner, I had an interview with President Anderson. He explained how I can use the area book better. After, we went back down to Reading. We talked to Bill and we decided to stop meeting with him because he said that he would most likely not be convinced that Heavenly Father cares about his children.

Friday

We helped Brother Waldbiesser with moving some antiques into an antique store for an inactive member. We also meet Nathan when we were trying to talk to someone else who lives in the same household. Nathan has a very open mind and would be open to hearing more about the Gospel. We also finally got to visit with Sister Kershaw. The missionaries in Reading 1st get assigned home teaching families and she is a person on the list.

Saturday

We had the Sisters, and six other people that came to help Sister Meade. Together we made short work of the leaves and then we also racked the leaves of five of Sister Meade's neighbors. One said that we can come back and talk more about the Gospel. We also visited an inactive member. His grandfather owned a brewery here in Reading but lost it because the person that was to pay the taxes took the money instead of giving it to the government.

Sunday

This week, the missionaries in Reading 1st were invited to ward council. We talked about investigators and inactive members. We help the primary with a project that will help them be member missionaries.



I do like emails, so if you have time, don't be shy about emailing me. Michael would like to receive letters and emails. His contact information is located on the right. As with all missionaries, these letters and emails are his link to home. 

Elder Bjerregaard

Monday, November 17, 2014

Week 2--Leaving the MTC and Entering the Field

Before I forget, Happy Birthday Mom!

Wish I had a P-Day sooner. I didn't have another one at the MTC and was not given one when I got here, so this is the first chance I have had in over a week to write. President Anderson does not allow conversations though emails (email chats), so only one email per person per week. So don't try to be on the same time that I am because it will not do you any good.

I don't remember much between Wednesday and Monday and I don't have my journal with me to refer to so all this will be off of memory.

Monday

This was a really busy day! During the normal gym time, my district went to the laundry room to get what we had washed. When we got back, we did as much packing as we could until we had to leave for class. Bother Quick (not sure if that is how you spell it) let us go early to give us more time to pack.

Tuesday

We got up really early, around 2, in the morning and we had to be where the buses were by 3:30. There were 16 people in my travel group. For one reason or another, the ones on the bus were the ones going to the Pennsylvania Philadelphia Mission. Since it was so early, it took no time to get though security. Nothing much happened during our travel time outside of the normal travel experiences. President Anderson, his wife, the senior couples that work in the mission office, and the assistants where waiting for us right outside of the security check point. For dinner, we had lasagna and it was really good. I wonder when I will have lasagna again. One thing I learned is that in Philadelphia is that a Philly Cheese Steak is called a Cheese Steak.


Elder Bjerregaard with President and Sister Anderson

The new missionaries who arrived to the PPM.


Wednesday

We had to be ready to leave by 7:45 to get the mission office in time. There we had some training and then we were paired up with our new companions. We were then told where we are going to be staying for at least the next month and a half. I'm currently serving in the Reading 1st Ward and going to be with Elder Thomas. He just sent his previous companion home. When he was down in Philadelphia, he learned that he would be both the district leader and that he would be a trainer, so he had no time to prepare for me. When we got back, we had a late lunch and then changed into clothes that we can do service in and went over to Joel's house. After the service project, we changed clothes to do some teaching.

Thursday

This was my first full day out in the mission field. It just so happened that it was the day we had a district meeting. I think that Elder Thomas, my companion, did a good job with teaching what he prepared even though he didn't have much time to do so. We met with the sister missionaries who are also serving in the Reading 1st Ward trying to decide what to do with an upcoming fireside. We didn't get much time to teach today because as a new missionary, I get an extra hour of companion study.

Friday

We were out most of the day. We tried to contact everyone we had as a referral for, but we only ended up with three contacts, I think. For dinner, we were at the Kochen’s, and they are a really nice couple. After we finished dinner and shared a short gospel message, we went out to Fleetwood, to try to find a referral we had. She ended up not being home because she was off to college, but we did get her bother and got an appointment to go back and share the gospel with him.

Saturday

I had my first coordination meeting. For the life of me, I can't remember the ward mission leader's name. We helped Sister Beers by picking up after a yard sale she had. After that we went to David's house and read scriptures with him. He thinks he has been baptized, but no one can find his records so we might just have to re-baptize him. That night, we had the adult session of stake conference. The main message was about family history work. One thing I wish I can just do whenever I want is family history work.

Sunday

Instead of going to a chapel for stake conference, we had it at a nearby high school auditorium and is was pretty full, nothing like what it is back home. We had a member of the seventy there. One thing I learned is that he is the only member of the church in his family. We had lunch at a member's house, and then went to someone's farewell party. We tried to connecting with someone who stopped investigating the church and also a part member family, but were unable to do anything.


Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Week 1--The MTC

I cannot believe I have been in the MTC for a week now. A lot of things happened and I don't know where to start.

Wednesday—My First Day

Wednesday was really busy. I was brought to an area trying to get everything done during check in. You cannot believe this, but no one knew how to say my name . I have 5 elders and 3 sisters in my district including me. My companions are Elder Weisler and Elder Clark. After a short class, all the new missionaries had a meeting with the MTC presidency. They went over some of the rules and gave some advice. After dinner, we met the zone leaders and the sister training leader. We have two other districts in our zone.

Thursday

The first real day at the MTC. We heard that the best time to shower is early in the morning and to try to beat everyone. The other elders and I woke up really early. Turns out, we didn't need to so. That was fun. The elders also decided to run to and from every gym time we have. After dinner, my district met with the branch presidency. The first counselor knew how to say my last name because he knows a David Bjerregaard in American Fork. I was called to be one of the sacrament coordinators so I have to make sure that everything that is needed for the sacrament is set up.

Saturday

We attempted to teach Segon but we ended up just throwing words and terms to him that I don't think he truly understood. We didn't get too far but with every failure we learned what we should be learning.

Sunday

We had fast Sunday here. We had a mission conference where every member of the MTC presidency and their wives talked to us. I don't remember everything. After the conference, we had a district meeting where we talked about what was covered in conference. After that, we went on a temple walk where we walked around the temple. I was able to get some pictures of everyone in my zone.

Monday

Our zone got smaller because the people in my zone who went to Spokane, WA left early in the morning. We started to teach the TRC (Teaching Resource Center) investigator today. We had the same problem we had with Segon. We tried to teach everything in the lesson instead of teaching what the investigator needed and it didn't go over very well. Through the failure, we learned how to better teach.


Tuesday

My district is the only one remaining because of the people who were left, another district left for Riverside, CA. Right now we are only a one district zone until the new people arrive. My whole zone/district is looking forward to the new people so we can meet them and see if we can befriend any with only a week to do it.

Today we taught Segon again. This time, we taught to his needs. We learned why his son is important him so we taught the plan of salvation. We really felt the spirit and we had him commit to read the Book of Mormon and to pray to see if it is true. We also taught Lawannia (the TRC) the plan of salvation and she received it better then the lesson on Monday.

We went over to BYU to listen to their Tuesday devotional. It was a nice experience and something that almost never happens.



It is really hard to remember everything and I can see why Elder Tyler Jones had a hard time. I have been writing everything down but I don't have my journal with me so I am trying to do everything by memory.

I leave to go to Philadelphia early on November 11, 2014. We are going to get into Philadelphia around 3:30 pm local time. Most likely I will not be able to send any other emails until my first P-Day in the field.


Elder Bjerregaard

The district plus a few

The District

Philly here we come.

Saturday, November 1, 2014

Day 1--First Letter



Today seemed to be a long day. This is the first time, about 9:50, to be able to “be by myself.” My zone leader recommended to write a letter home during my first night.

I’m in a three-way companionship with Elder Clark and Elder Weisler. I’m also rooming with Elder Froc and Elder Roberts. We have three sisters in our district. We are all going to Philadelphia.

Didn’t think I would be missing you guys already. Hope you had a safe drive back.

Love,
Elder Bjerregaard


Snail mail written on October 29, 2014